Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There are a number of issues here. The Tánaiste talked about engagement and it is important that engagement takes place. It has been a year since the then Minister for Education and Skills agreed to enter into engagement with school secretaries. The offer made by the Department was for a pay rise, but what the school secretaries want is equality in their pay, terms and conditions. This issue has not been addressed by officials from either the Department of Education and Skills or the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the discussions. If we are going to bring into force what we say about holding school secretaries in high esteem, we need to engage in the mechanisms that are in place. I again urge that this issue be taken up as a matter of urgency. School secretaries are not people who want to go on strike. They are not threatening it if they do not get somewhere but there is a short window of opportunity for the Departments to engage meaningfully to find a resolution to this matter once and for all.

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